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Multiple-Meaning Words

A multiple-meaning word is spelled and said the same way but means different things: a bat flies at night, and you hit a ball with a bat. Context is the only clue, which is why these words are such good reading practice.

Here are 116 multiple-meaning words from past ClueBy puzzles, each with a real example sentence for every meaning. Use them as a reference, or make a printable worksheet below.

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Students read each sentence and write the missing word. Every word appears in several sentences, each time with a different meaning.

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Multiple-Meaning Words

Name: ____________________Date: __________

Write the missing word in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

  1. She's very handy with a ________________.
  2. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  3. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  4. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  5. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  6. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  7. My mare is ________________ in color.
  8. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  9. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  10. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  11. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  12. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  13. The ________________ went through the wall.
  14. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  15. He works in a ________________ mill.
  16. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  17. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  18. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  19. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  20. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  21. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  22. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  23. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  24. She had a strange look on her ________________.

Sentences from ClueBy, Tatoeba (CC BY 2.0 FR) and Common Voice (CC0). clueby.com

Answer key

  1. saw — the tool
  2. march — music
  3. pass — to spend time
  4. content — the amount
  5. nail — on a finger
  6. pass — a permit
  7. bay — a horse colour
  8. fine — high quality
  9. fine — a penalty
  10. face — to confront
  11. march — the month
  12. fine — all right
  13. nail — for a hammer
  14. content — videos and posts
  15. saw — the tool
  16. bay — to keep at bay
  17. pass — to succeed
  18. nail — for a hammer
  19. bay — a part of the sea
  20. saw — past of 'see'
  21. content — happy
  22. face — to point toward
  23. march — the month
  24. face — part of the head

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

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Frequently asked questions

What are multiple-meaning words?

Words with the same spelling and pronunciation but more than one meaning, like bark (of a dog or of a tree) or bank (for money or of a river). You can only tell which meaning is meant from the rest of the sentence.

Are multiple-meaning words the same as homonyms?

Mostly, yes. Teachers often use "multiple-meaning words" and "homonyms" for the same idea. Homophones are different: they sound alike but are spelled differently, like flour and flower.

Are the worksheets free?

Yes. Make and print as many as you like for home or classroom use. Each sheet has its own link, so you can print the same one again.

Where do the words come from?

From past ClueBy puzzles, a daily game where you sort twelve sentences by their missing word. A new puzzle every day adds four more words to this list.

Sentences from ClueBy, Tatoeba (CC BY 2.0 FR) and Common Voice (CC0). clueby.com